HBO Lands The Event of The Summer When Madonna Live: The Drowned World Tour Airs Live Aug. 26

May 23, 2001

NEW YORK, -- HBO brings the summer to a close with the biggest event of the season when MADONNA LIVE: THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR is seen live on SUNDAY, AUG. 26 (9:00 p.m. ET; tape-delayed PT), it was announced today by Nancy Geller, senior vice president, HBO Original Programming. Part of her first tour in eight years, which sold out around the country in record time, the exclusive concert event will be presented from The Palace of Auburn Hills in her hometown of Detroit before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 17,000.

"It's a thrill for us to have Madonna back, because we know it is going to be a spectacular show, with that combination of her amazing talent and extravagant style which only Madonna can bring," said Geller.

The Drowned World Tour will take the superstar throughout Europe in June and across America beginning in late July. Her current multi-platinum CD "Music" was hailed as "rich, inspired and vital," by the Denver Post, which added that "her music continues to break barriers."

MADONNA LIVE: THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR brings the singer back to HBO for the first time since 1993's "Madonna -- Live Down Under: 'The Girlie Show'," from Sydney, Australia, which was the most-watched original program of the year. Her first HBO special, 1990's "Madonna  Live! Blond Ambition World Tour 90," presented from Nice on the French Riviera on the final night of her "Blond Ambition World Tour," premiered to record numbers and remains one of the highest-rated original programs in HBO history.

In an innovative relationship, America Online is sponsoring The Drowned World Tour and offered new and current subscribers advance tickets to shows in the United States before they went on sale to the general public.

One of the most influential artists of the last two decades, Madonna has sold more than 110 million albums worldwide and produced ten #1 hits in the United States, beginning in 1984 with the title track of her second album, "Like a Virgin," which also topped the album charts. "Music," her current CD, entered the Billboard album charts at No. 1 in the U.S., as well as No. 1 in 22 other countries, and has sold more than 10 million copies internationally. Her previous album, 1998's Grammy-winning "Ray of Light," also topped the chart and went four times platinum. As an actress, she has starred in films such as "Desperately Seeking Susan," "Dick Tracy" and "Evita," for which she won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

MADONNA LIVE: THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR will be produced by Marty Callner and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Callner's previous HBO credits include last summer's *NSYNC special, as well as specials starring Marc Anthony, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Garth Brooks and Jerry Seinfeld. Hamilton previously directed Madonna at the Brixton Academy for a live webcast, as well as TV specials starring Prince, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Spice Girls.